Are We Thinking About Innovation All Wrong?

Forbes

22-07-2025

Davide Sartini, Chief Corporate Officer at G. Mondini Spa / Forbes Italy's Top 100 CMOs (2021) | Capital Magazine's Top 150 Managers (2020).
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We live in a Western world that has turned dreams and ambitions into a kind of new religion. We fight against the pessimism of those who have stopped believing in something and, whether we intend to or not, we help fuel a society that is increasingly competitive, where the driving forces are not only the ever-present pursuit of profit but also ideals of innovation.
Everyone talks about innovation, but what does it mean? Here's the way I see it: The lightbulb wasn't created by tweaking the candle. It came from a fundamentally new idea.
But are we sure our view on innovation is heading in the right direction? Are emotion and reason evolving hand in hand, or is there instead a predominance of irrationality, of an overly optimistic and, dare I say, superficial attitude toward success—one that risks shattering our ideas, consuming resources and ultimately compromising our most genuine aspirations?
A handful of articles highlight a startling statistic: Out of approximately 30,000 products launched onto the market each year, 95% fail. This figure, drawn from a study by Harvard Business School, is sobering. It challenges the narrative upheld by a business model that often sacrifices dreams on the altar of productivity and efficiency.
What's more striking is that this so-called 'tendency toward failure' affects both the world's biggest companies—those that can afford to lose millions without suffering lasting damage—and small businesses, where even a single failure can jeopardize their entire survival in the market.
And if that weren't enough, consider the fate of startups—those shining emblems of contemporary innovation, often built on ambition, novel ideas and the passion of young inventors. It's also widely reported that up to 90% of startups fail. Even among those that survive, many find themselves unable to earn the profits they hoped for, falling short of the expectations of external investors who believed in the promise of quick or significant returns.
Faced with these numbers, one might rightly question whether innovation—be it of a product, process, service or digital application—is truly as natural and widespread a result as we are often led to believe. Historical evidence suggests the opposite: that true innovation is a rare and fragile outcome, not an inevitable product of progress. Accepting this reality means approaching innovation with a sense of realism and, above all, with the humility it demands.
We are living in a complex and unpredictable era. Our society is facing the fastest and most radical transformations in recorded history. We stand at a turning point—one that defies the linear models of progress we were taught in textbooks and have long taken for granted. The rules are changing, and with them, the very logic by which we interpret the world.
In this shifting landscape, the role of a leader—and equally that of a capable manager—is not to resist change, but to equip organizations to navigate the inherent risks of innovation. Mistakes should not be viewed as failures or unacceptable setbacks, but rather as calculated risks—necessary steps in the iterative journey of progress.
An innovative leader must operate within a framework of logic and rationality, but with a deep awareness that even the most well-structured processes are vulnerable to uncertainty. True leadership today lies in embracing that uncertainty, fostering resilience and building a culture where experimentation is not only accepted but expected.
Such a perspective may feel disheartening, but there is a figure from history who can offer a different kind of response—one rooted not in grand theories, but in practice and principle. This person is not a billionaire entrepreneur, but rather an inventor who shaped the economic destiny of an entire nation: Toyoda Sakichi.
In addition to founding Toyota, Toyoda's guiding principles have come to define the company's modern-day philosophy. His approach offers a compelling counter-narrative to the myth of innovation as pure hype. He emphasized loyalty to one's work and duties as a foundation for the collective good of the company. For him, study and creativity went hand in hand, forming the right blend to stay ahead of the times. He valued practicality and rejected frivolity—not out of coldness, but because staying grounded in real, achievable ideas requires focus, clarity and a refusal to be distracted by vague or inflated notions. He also championed a familial atmosphere in the workplace, one in which the warmth of friendship could thrive. And finally, Toyoda advocated respect for spiritual matters, open to personal interpretation. For him, spirituality meant cultivating gratitude for every moment of our lives, regardless of circumstances.
Perhaps this is the perspective we need: not blind faith in success, but a mature vision that respects both failure and fragility. Innovation, when seen through this lens, becomes not just an outcome but a mindset—built not only on ideas, but on values.
In conclusion, based on my own experience and the stories of remarkable individuals who have inspired me, I'm convinced that the structural foundation of any effective innovation process is a genuine belief in what you're doing. Innovation inherently involves variables that are unpredictable and often beyond our control—that's simply part of the territory, and it can't be entirely avoided.
Yet I strongly believe that the most enduring and impactful innovations are those grounded in conviction—a conviction that aligns with the organization's core philosophy and originates from within. When change is driven by a shared purpose, when it begins with people and grows out of a common vision, it becomes more than just a strategic move—it becomes a cultural evolution. And that, in my view, is the strongest possible starting point for real, tangible and lasting innovation in any sector.
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